July 25, 2020

3 Ways Natural Personal Care Brands Can Evolve with Changing Consumer Behaviors Amid Coronavirus

Consumer behaviors are always evolving. Amid the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing, it’s no surprise these behaviors have recently experienced a dramatic change. Let’s take a look at three ways that natural personal care brands can adapt and evolve with consumers given the current state of affairs.

Quarantine Beauty: What the Statistics Say

Although the coronavirus and stay-at-home orders have encouraged more sweatpants and less make up for consumers, brands still have an opportunity to engage with this new market and future-proof their offerings.

According to recent study by Opinium Research, usage is shifting from instant gratification categories to longer-term care. 25% of Americans are opting to wear less color cosmetics (foundation, blush, lipstick, eyeshadow) while in lockdown. Interestingly, of those who are using make up less often, about a third feel “relieved” that they don’t have to wear it anymore, and 39% enjoy feeling like a more natural version of themselves. But, not everyone feels like following a lower-maintenance beauty routine. 28% report that they miss wearing cosmetics and getting dolled up, and a fifth say they just don’t feel like themselves when not wearing them.

Although the usage of color cosmetics have dropped during COVID-19, trends show that young Americans (18-34 year olds) are more likely to apply cosmetics more than ever, possibly due to the increased free-time. Nearly a fifth (17%) of cosmetic wearers say they apply color cosmetics to “pass the time.”

The study reports, “We have also seen an increase in young Americans watching online beauty tutorials or unboxing videos, with two fifths (42%) watching more online beauty tutorials and roughly the same proportion (43%) watching more unboxing or ‘haul’ beauty videos.”

On the flip side, categories that focus on hair care (ex: at-home box hair coloring) and personal care (ex: skincare) are seeing more Americans increase their usage, since they have more time at home to indulge in these routines.

How Can Natural Personal Care Brands Adapt to the New Market?

As in many areas of life at home during COVID-19, certain trends in the personal care and beauty industry are shifting. Brands must be quick to adapt and provide solutions for consumers. Here are a few ideas:

Defense

Without a doubt, the personal care industry will experience a rise in defensive ingredients such as antimicrobials used in lotion and hand sanitizer applications, surfactants used in rinse-off applications, and emollients typically used in skin care formulations.

Natural, Holistic Skin Care

But, the COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the need for natural stress busters. Consumers are looking for ways to feel pampered at home and engage in self-care rituals. Natural personal care products such as face masks, hair masks, bath bombs, skin care with multi-step routines, hair coloring, and nail color are a sure way to engage consumers during this challenging time.

KahlComplex 6422 Veggiesoft from KahlWax, for example, is a natural and vegan alternative to lanolin that works as a skin moisturizer. This natural ingredient is well suited for indulgent products such as body butter, mask, and massage balm formulations.

“Maskne”

Yes, mask-induced acne is a real thing. Breakouts that occur because of wearing a mask (combined with the added stress from the pandemic) have become so common over the past few months that it has been nicknamed: “maskne.”

Therefore, consumers will be looking for personal care products with ingredients that treat (and prevent) “maskne” such as GreenGard™ BA bio from Green Line, a natural antimicrobial.

Weather the Storm with Kinetik

With the uncertain road ahead, personal care and beauty brands must focus on ways to keep engaging consumers. From defensive skin care ingredients to dramatic eye color cosmetics that stand out above the mask, the opportunities are there. And we can help.

Kinetik is headquartered in the USA, but we work with clients and represent suppliers worldwide. Contact us at (732) 335-5775 to speak with one of our sales representatives about the raw, natural ingredients you need to evolve with your consumers.